I have been asked to buy a gift of cologne for a mid-teen boy. Any suggestions? I know teens tend to follow the crowd, but he seems to be an individualist, so I'm not sure what to buy. I welcome your ideas.

17th September 2010, 10:05 AM

Le Grand Duc

I always suggest Dune pour Homme by Dior to these kind of questions, so ... ;)

17th September 2010, 10:24 AM

Pour_Monsieur

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male perhaps ?

17th September 2010, 10:24 AM

Oslo-Fjord

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Creed Original Vetiver.

17th September 2010, 10:30 AM

Deviant

Re: cologne for teenage boy

M7 Fresh?

17th September 2010, 10:43 AM

boosh

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Burberry London, Body Kouros, Oxford & Cambridge.

If you can afford it, Creed MI or SMW.

17th September 2010, 10:50 AM

DeepSilence

Re: cologne for teenage boy

1+ Burberry London
Ferrari Black

17th September 2010, 10:58 AM

Pour_Monsieur

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Sorry but $200 bottle of creed on a 14 or 15 year old kid seems a bit silly to me ....

17th September 2010, 11:01 AM

Desmond Hume

Re: cologne for teenage boy

I would go for something safe and versatile for it will probably the only cologne he'll have.
If you think he likes fresh ones you can't go wrong with Acqua di Gio, only here on Basenotes there's a tendency to bash on the popular ones. Something slightly less common would be Chanel Allure Homme Sport or Versace Pour Homme and L'eau d'Issey.
Another very versatile one and aromatic: Davidoff Cool Water.
I think you can also try Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren.
If the purpose is going out and dating: Armani Code, Le Male, Rochas Man and Body Kouros.
Last but not least: if he wants to stand out from the crowd: Dior Homme, Terre D'Hermès (but these aren't safe choices).

17th September 2010, 11:15 AM

boosh

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pour_Monsieur

Sorry but $200 bottle of creed on a 14 or 15 year old kid seems a bit silly to me ....

Not to Bill Gates, hence the "if you can afford it". ;)

17th September 2010, 11:16 AM

remixx

Re: cologne for teenage boy

+1 burberry london

17th September 2010, 11:31 AM

Cumarin

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Mugler Cologne. Absolutely perfect, has soap + showergel too. I desagree with burberry london, that one I like to smell on someone at least 25-30 years old. Not for a 15 year old, IMO.

17th September 2010, 11:35 AM

petruccijc

Re: cologne for teenage boy

+1 Mugler Cologne

17th September 2010, 01:22 PM

BradW

Re: cologne for teenage boy

The sweet scents are popular with both teenage boys and girls, so many good choices out there. Rochas Man should be great at that age. Fruity scents like Escada Sunset Heat and Paris Hilton for Men are fine choices as well.

17th September 2010, 01:34 PM

Le Grand Duc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Grand Duc

Dune pour Homme by Dior.

+ 1

17th September 2010, 01:45 PM

lupo

Re: cologne for teenage boy

The Million golden brick thing Paco Rabanne? It is sort of juvenile. In a nice way. Sort of.
Joop! Homme seems to be quite popular among teenagers as well, and it's slightly less mainstream, just slightly, plus it's decently priced.
How about the new Gucci Homme Sport?

17th September 2010, 02:23 PM

gido

Re: cologne for teenage boy

i second the mugler cologne (futuristic eau de cologne), and dior homme (iris). body kouros or guerlain homme would be a good choice. (both yohji homme and lolita lempicka are similar only better, but the first is discontinued and expensive on ebay, the second would be kind of hard for a boy with that name and bottle, being marketed to females.. but it is a *great* scent for boys, very clever). these are all modern, but special.
i suggest getting some smelling strips, put them in ziplock bags (they will stay fresh over an extended period of time), and let the boy decide.
one that is popular with the younger crowd and excellent, is beyond paradise man from estee lauder (woody). another is kenzo homme (aquatic). these are the kind of scent young men ofter wear, those two being the best of the bunch. aqua di gio is not bad either. davidoff cool water is great, but it's been extremely popular for over 2 decades and on it's way out with the young ones i think.
these latter ones are generally safer options for insecure teens, the ones i mentioned earlier are possibly better suited for someone who follows his own mind instead of the crowd.
btw. all of these are scents that girls will like, too.

17th September 2010, 02:49 PM

DeepSilence

Re: cologne for teenage boy

If he wants to be an individualist, buy something strong !! believe me, he will like that.

It would make sense if you don't know what he likes, the first link is a 40$ value, the second one is the same but also has a gift voucher he can take back to get a full bottle that he likes.

I think he won't really know what he really likes unless he already has started his own collection, so why not introduce him to the world of fragrance?

If you want to pick one sent and for his age group I'd say something sweet that he will get complimented on by girls his age. He'd appreciate that. Only two that are sweet in my collection are 1 Million and Euphoria Intense.

bulgari black is another great option. it's unisex, so depending on the store you might find this one at the ladies counter. it is powdery rubber with vanilla/amber.
a*men contains similar notes, but is quite different from black. it has gourmand notes as well, and it's very strong.
both are very different from the average boy's sports cologne, which is definitely a good thing. please don't get anything with 'sport' written on it, almost all of these excuses for perfume are badly constructed and terribly cheaply made. and be aware of flankers too, read the label carefully, if anything is added to the name you expect, it is not the same thing! (there are a few flankers that are actually very good, body kouros being one of them)

my favorite of the option so far is dior homme. it's distinctive, modern, great quality, an all-round every day wearable. it has a perfect sillage and goes on forever.

17th September 2010, 05:32 PM

kxe003

Re: cologne for teenage boy

L'eau D'Issey pour homme

17th September 2010, 06:07 PM

Pappy

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Allure Sport
Joop Jump
Kenneth Cole T-Shirt

I wore Givenchy Pi in high school as my signature...

17th September 2010, 06:45 PM

Swanky

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Polo For Men - Ralph Lauren
New West For Men - Aramis
Preferred Stock - Coty
Chrome - Azzaro

Another idea....if you have a Body Shop in your area, they have some very safe, pleasant and affordable EDTs for men. Sadly, my favorite, Javari, has been discontinued.

17th September 2010, 10:48 PM

thepunjabi

Re: cologne for teenage boy

being a 15 year old myself i like to stand out of the crowd when wearing a cologne so i would recommend la nuit de l`omme by yves st laurent

or allure homme edition blanche by chanel

or joop! jump

leau d`issy by isaye miyake ( i think thats how you spell it)

or armani attitude extreme try out all thses and then narrow it down

17th September 2010, 10:57 PM

JonnyLeMale

Re: cologne for teenage boy

acqua di gio or jean paul gaultiers le male

if its very hot where u live, id go with aqua di gio

if not, Le Male.

Overall, id go with Le Male. you will never stop getting complimented and noticed. especially at a youger age where girls have prolly not smelled it. if they smell le male for the first time on u, your golden

17th September 2010, 11:46 PM

flashpoint321

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Thanks so much for the collection idea. I didn't even know there were such sets. I'm going to check it out.

18th September 2010, 12:28 AM

andym72

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMF

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection

Thats just child cruelty....

18th September 2010, 12:52 AM

trex57

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by andym72

Thats just child cruelty....

LOL- thats priceless, love the comment, sadly its true. Back to the question, how about Hanae Mori or if he really wants to stand Blue Sugar. They are both moderately priced. The HM is a classic scent. Just a thought...

18th September 2010, 01:21 AM

Ekove

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMF

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection

Do not listen to him, he's screwing with you clearly...I hope.

18th September 2010, 02:07 AM

Surfacing

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pour_Monsieur

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male perhaps ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pour_Monsieur

Sorry but $200 bottle of creed on a 14 or 15 year old kid seems a bit silly to me ....

You suggesting Le Male seems silly to me, especially when the original poster implied they wanted to purchase a less overplayed fragrance.

The two scents that first come to mind that best fit those criteria are Givenchy Play - a wonderful and soft citrus scent (grapefruit + lemon/lime) that evolves and picks up some coffee and vanilla notes along the way. It is sweet but soft and muted - it doesn't project TOO far, so won't annoy everyone in a 15 foot radius, and yet it does last a long time and project a comfortable distance. This one is more forgiving of extra sprays, too, which teens are wont to do.

The second scent I recommend is YSL L'Homme - similar in projection and evolution to Givenchy Play, this scent starts out with more lemon and ginger, picks up some violet leaf on the way and finally ends with a sweet vanilla like (tonka) drydown.

But regardless, you are letting him try 7 scents and choose his favorite. Just making the gift more active like that rather than so passive is a great idea. He'll have fun testing them and seeing what his friends and what girls think of them.

18th September 2010, 09:48 AM

PerfumeGoddess

Re: cologne for teenage boy

victoria secret men fragrance is good too ;)

18th September 2010, 10:26 AM

WildThingy

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashpoint321

I have been asked to buy a gift of cologne for a mid-teen boy. Any suggestions? I know teens tend to follow the crowd, but he seems to be an individualist, so I'm not sure what to buy. I welcome your ideas.

Greatious, If You went to a shop You wouldn't have gotten such a variety of advices as here. So - why not go to the shop with that unlucky pubic guy at hand to check it out with himself? Fragrance is an intimate thing: whenever I want to use my ladies stuff I have to do it in secret. At least for a guy in that age range when growing up grooming can become more of a burdon.

In his peticular personal stage of juvenile development options are twofold: to go with the crowd or to show off. There is nothig in between seconded by very low odds that his preference for the camp he chooses today would survive the next party. To present him a fragrance shows some interest in his personal hygiene but won't be too successfull in having him smelling better.

18th September 2010, 12:03 PM

Redneck Perfumisto

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surfacing

Did you just "Plus One" your own comment :D ?

+1 :wink:

18th September 2010, 12:04 PM

Redneck Perfumisto

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redneck Perfumisto

+1 :wink:

+1 :shocked:

18th September 2010, 07:00 PM

Surfacing

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by redneck perfumisto

+1 :wink:

Quote:

Originally Posted by redneck perfumisto

+1 :shocked:

lol :D

2nd October 2011, 06:20 PM

Mmarkk

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by thepunjabi

being a 15 year old myself i like to stand out of the crowd when wearing a cologne so i would recommend la nuit de l`omme by yves st laurent

La Nuit De L'Homme? Unique? NEVER! =P

Not many teenagers (I'm assuming we're talking about 14-18) wear cologne daily. A lot of them simply prefer Axe, as I've seen.

However, I could recommend cK Intense Euphoria, 1 Million, YSL La Nuit, or Armani Code. A lot of these are considered "popular" or "mainstream", but one must consider the fact that the market share that a particular designer has over such a young portion of the general consumer base would render what is considered "overdone" by most middle-aged individuals "unique" amongst the young.

Code was the first cologne I ever received at the age of 16. I still appreciate it quite a bit, despite the criticism it receives. From what I can remember, I never wanted to smell like everyone else back in school, and still don't in university (college if you're from the U.S. ;P).

I guess what I'm trying to say is to maybe find him something that's mainstream for individuals aged 18-24; he probably won't use it every day, but he'll grow into it with an appreciation for proper fragrances, as opposed to the stuff that I consider to be garbage that is sold at Aeropostale, Hollister, Abercrombie, and other such companies who think that a label means everything.

Mark

2nd October 2011, 06:30 PM

hednic

Re: cologne for teenage boy

AdG is always a safe choice for a teenager IMO.

2nd October 2011, 06:39 PM

Thematt202

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Armani He is quite popular with the younger guys round these parts!

2nd October 2011, 08:36 PM

thepunjabi

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mmarkk

La Nuit De L'Homme? Unique? NEVER! =P

Not many teenagers (I'm assuming we're talking about 14-18) wear cologne daily. A lot of them simply prefer Axe, as I've seen.

However, I could recommend cK Intense Euphoria, 1 Million, YSL La Nuit, or Armani Code. A lot of these are considered "popular" or "mainstream", but one must consider the fact that the market share that a particular designer has over such a young portion of the general consumer base would render what is considered "overdone" by most middle-aged individuals "unique" amongst the young.

Code was the first cologne I ever received at the age of 16. I still appreciate it quite a bit, despite the criticism it receives. From what I can remember, I never wanted to smell like everyone else back in school, and still don't in university (college if you're from the U.S. ;P).

I guess what I'm trying to say is to maybe find him something that's mainstream for individuals aged 18-24; he probably won't use it every day, but he'll grow into it with an appreciation for proper fragrances, as opposed to the stuff that I consider to be garbage that is sold at Aeropostale, Hollister, Abercrombie, and other such companies who think that a label means everything.

Mark

The reason why I said it was unique was because people in my age group wear stuff that your ex girlfriend has already smelled on other guys, its always good to wear something people in my age group would not wear because its not a popular brand with teens, and the girls and my other friends love the smell of la nuit but i will never tell them what it is :) and its the same with leau d`issey, and edtion blanche and burberry brit they like them all but i will never tell them what it is because they say it smells much nicer than the mainstream stuff in highchools like armani and axe. :happy:

2nd October 2011, 10:49 PM

Scandihooligan

Re: cologne for teenage boy

+1 Mugler Cologne
+1 Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection

Also, Abercrombie & Fitch Woods.

3rd October 2011, 12:39 AM

Desk20

Re: cologne for teenage boy

Threads kind of dated huh? But Play Intense is really nice for High school in the colder seasons. -1 on Mugler cologne. Burberry Brit would be excellent too, La Nuit I think smells a little bit older than 14-15 years, 18 I think would be better. One million is definitely a great choice for HS too. Anyway you go, some girl will probably still think its Hollister.